The Chanel Sisters
My Rating: 4
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: eARC*
Publication Date: December 29, 2020
Author: Judithe Little
Similar To
The Chanel Sisters Blurb
A USA Today and Globe and Mail bestseller!
A novel of survival, love, loss, triumph—and the sisters who changed fashion forever
Antoinette and Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel know they’re destined for something better. Abandoned by their family at a young age, they’ve grown up under the guidance of nuns preparing them for simple lives as the wives of tradesmen or shopkeepers. At night, their secret stash of romantic novels and magazine cutouts beneath the floorboards are all they have to keep their dreams of the future alive.
The walls of the convent can’t shield them forever, and when they’re finally of age, the Chanel sisters set out together with a fierce determination to prove themselves worthy to a society that has never accepted them. Their journey propels them out of poverty and to the stylish cafés of Moulins, the dazzling performance halls of Vichy—and to a small hat shop on the rue Cambon in Paris, where a boutique business takes hold and expands to the glamorous French resort towns.
But the sisters’ lives are again thrown into turmoil when World War I breaks out, forcing them to make irrevocable choices, and they’ll have to gather the courage to fashion their own places in the world, even if apart from each other.
“The Chanel Sisters explores with care the timeless need for belonging, purpose, and love, and the heart’s relentless pursuit of these despite daunting odds. Beautifully told to the last page.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War
The Chanel Sisters Review
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:
- 1 star: Did not finish
- 2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
- 3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
- 4 Stars: Loved this book!
- 5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.
I’m human.
Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.
This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier. 🙂
My Thoughts
I read will anything set in paris especially during a world war, but add in the high fashion story of the chanel sisters, and I was so excited to get my hands on this one.
I loved the fashion, obviously, and the turmoil between the sisters. All of the historical details really pulled the narrative along for me.
The ethical dilemmas were really unexpected and gave the end of the book a lot of tension.
Beautiful cover which should have reeled in a lot of historical fiction fans without much effort.
Conclusion
I had a lot of fun reading The Chanel Sisters and would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
*Special thanks to Judithe Little, Netgalley, and Graydon House for providing a copy of The Chanel Sisters in exchange for an honest review.
[…] love good historical fiction. There’s something about the genre that is captivating in a way that other genres can’t […]